Beilschimdt House
by hetalia13canada
Summary: In a world where people are crossed with animals illegally, two brothers find a place for them to live in peace. There, no one has to worry about being accepted. Humans and half humans get along and become friends and more. Everyone can forget about their terrible pasts that made them this way now. Multiple pairings. (fantasy may not be the right one, but I think it'll work)
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: This Story will be a little different from the ones I've written. For one, it'll be in different parts, each part deals with a few characters. There will also be characters I have never written or role played before so I apologize for any future OOC-ness of the characters. I will give you a warning here for abusiveness and such here since I tend to accidently go overboard with that. That is why the rating for this is 'M'. I'll try to give a warning at the beginning of the chapters that have that, but I may forget. I'm also putting accents in for everyone I can and using different languages. I will translate for some harder stuff, but for the simple things, I won't unless someone needs me to. I will also be using Google for translations so if you know a correct translation for the English I said the translation was, a nice correction in the reviews or through a pm would be great and I'll change it as soon as I can. On the topic of reviews: please do not put anything rude or nasty or about such a horrible story you think it is. I didn't make you read it and you can stop any time you want. Criticism is alright as long as it is in a nicer manner, like constructive. I will delete any comments I find that are hateful in nature towards me or my story. I'm trying my best here, honest. I will try to update every Friday, but as I am still writing it I can't guarantee that. To put some credit here, this is loosely based off of a role play. It was a mix of both our ideas. This story also has multiple pairings. What I can remember is PruCan, UsUk, AusHun, GerIta, and Spamano. There's more though. And as the disclaimers that I have never put before because I forgot it goes, I do not own Hetalia or the characters. Sorry for the long Arthur's Note, but I needed to clear some things up. I think that's it, so now I'll let you get to reading my new story._

* * *

_Prologue:_

There were some scientists that had been trying to make living for humans easier and more efficient by changing them. These scientists used animal parts to try to accomplish this. They would use things like wings, webbed feet, gills, eagle eyes, and other things like that.

The first few tests, though, had gone terribly wrong and the experiments were stopped forever. Except for a few select scientists, that is. These scientists who continued would come to be known as the mad scientists. They took anyone they could get to use in their experiments. The people ended up being half human and half animal, and not only physically. The mad scientists and found a way to rearrange their brains so they would be only half human mentally as well. That didn't always work out how they wanted it to though.

The mad scientists worked in a secret facility. They conducted most of their experiments there and that was where they kept all their test subjects. After the experiments had been completed, the scientists sent out the new half-human, half-animal hybrids out into the world to live a normal life. But nothing was normal ever again for these hybrids. The people who had never been experimented on, which were a huge majority, did not understand the hybrids, or even try to. They were mean to the hybrids and nearly all the humans were cruel to them, ignored them, or used them as servants or slaves. And the hybrids were always treated cruelly.

Some of the normal people, however, were nice to the hybrids. They tried their best to understand them and did all they could to help them. Only a small handful of people would do that, and only a two people made a place for these hybrids to stay. It was a place where they would feel and be accepted by everyone there. It was a safe haven for all the hybrids out there.

The only two people who would dare do this were the Beilschmidt brothers. Under the elder's supervision of the whole thing, of course. And this is how the idea entered his head in the first place and how he was able to keep going with the whole project, letting the hybrids be equal once again.

_End prologue_

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_Part One: Gil_

Gilbert Beilschmidt was walking down the street to Antonio's house. His best friend hadn't contacted him in a few days in anyway. Though this normally wouldn't normally have bothered Gilbert, he had a bad feeling about this. He got to Antonio's house soon enough and looked up at it.

"He better be here." Gilbert murmured to himself, going up to the door. He knocked first before just going inside, glad the door was unlocked. It gave him an uneasy feeling that he chose to ignore. "Toni! Hey, Toni, you in here!?"

There was no answer to Gilbert's yelling. He sighed softly and continued looking through the house, calling for his Spanish friend. He didn't get any response and didn't even see him. Gilbert checked everywhere in the house and he even went into the tomato garden out back, just to find everywhere was empty of humans.

He sighed again and leaned against the fence in the back yard, pulling out his phone. He looked through the contacts until he found his other best friends' name; Francis Bonnefoy. He selected the name and hit the call button. Gilbert listened to the other phone ring a few times before it was picked up.

"_Bounjour_." Francis greeted on the other side of the line. " Oo is zhis?"

"Zhe awesome Gilbert. Und I have somzhing to ask."

"Ask away, mon ami."

"Have you seen Toni around lately? I haven't seen him anyvhere, und I even checked his house."

There was a sigh from Francis before he spoke again. "Gilbert, 'ow many times do we 'ave to tell you, you can't just go barging into ozher people's 'ouses? But, non, I 'ave not zeen 'im. Why would eet bozher you? Zhis isn't zhe first time zomezhing like zhis 'as 'appened."

"Vell, don't you zhink it's a little strange zhaat neizher of us know vhat he's doing, or at least vhere he is?"

"Well, I suppose eet _is_ a little strange 'e 'asn't told us by now. …Oh, wait. I remember now. Zhere was a van at 'is 'ouse zhe ozher day. Well, eet 'ad been at 'is 'ouse anyway. Eet was driving away."

"A van?"

"_Oui_, a black van. Eet was 'eading for zhe souzhern part of town."

"Southern part? But from Toni's house, zhere's nozhing down zhere really… Nozhing but zhat old hospital."

"I know. But maybe zhey where going out of town?"

"I don't know, Francis. But I have a really bad feeling about zhis."

"A bad feeling? 'Ow come?"

"Remember zhat incident last veek. Zhe kidnapping?"

"Zhe one with the little girl and little boy and zhe mad scientist?"

"Ja. Und I have a feeling zhat it isn't just kids zhey're taking anymore. I mean, it's been mainly kids, but maybe zhey're trying to do zhat wizh adults."

"You mean you zhink zhat zhey took Toni for… for _zhat_?"

There was a pause as Gilbert looked up at the sky for a moment, starting to think. He spoke again after a few moments.

"Francis, I'm going to go down zhere."

"What? But, Gil. If zhey're doing zomezhing to 'im, zhey won't 'esitate to do zomezhing to you as well."

"…I know. But I'm not scared. He's our friend, Francis. I'm going to go get our friend back."

"We bozh know you don't want 'im to be like zhat because you 'ate zhem. Not because you want to 'elp."

"…Vhatever. I'm still going to get him back here. If I'm not back by zhe time your shift is over, meet me at zhe old hospital."

"Alright. Just remember zhis one zhing: zhey may 'ave already got 'im if zhis is what you zhink eet is."

"Don't talk like zhat!"

"I'll meet you zhere or at 'ome."

"_Danke_." Gilbert ended the call and put his phone back in his pocket. "Zhat stupid Spaniard better be OK." He grumbled to himself before walking back through Antonio's house. Once he was out of it, he ran back to his own house, a block or so over, and got to his car.

"Zhis damn old zhing better start zhis time…" he mumbled to himself, starting up the engine of his old Volkswagen. It took a few times before it roared to life. When it did, Gilbert went flying down the road.

He ignored every stop sign and the two stop lights that stood between him and the hospital. It was a pretty much straight road that Gilbert sped down, only a few small turns. After about fifteen minutes, with Gilbert's increased speed, he was there.

The hospital had been abandoned for a few decades, ever since a fire burned through half of it. Many of the patients and doctors had been lost. Only a few survived and all were sent to the new hospital farther into town. The old hospital was off-limits to everyone ever since then due to safety issues. No one had set foot in it until a few mad scientists decided it would be their place to do the experiments.

Gilbert parked right up at the front doors and got out of his car, but he left it running. He slammed the door and went into the old hospital. He was hit first by the smell of the old place. It still held the smell of that smoke and water. And if you concentrated hard enough and used a little of your imagination, you would faintly be able to smell the burning bodies and equipment.

"Vhere vould zhey take him?" Gilbert quietly asked himself as he walked into the lobby. "Zhey can't go to zhe burned part… So zhe left…" He walked down the hall to his left, trying to ignore the sudden chill up his spine.

He shook his head in attempt to clear his mind. "Get a hold of yourself, Gilbert. Ghosts don't exist and zhere is nozhing to be afraid of. Acting like zhere is vould be so unawesome."

Gilbert continued walking for a while until he heard a low humming that was a generator. He followed the noise, slow at first but he picked up his pace when he heard the humming grow louder.

He looked through all the rooms with windows just to find they were all empty. When he got to the middle of the third hallway, Gilbert finally heard human voices. He stopped running and stood by the partially open door and out of view.

"Should it look like that?" someone asked from inside the room.

"Of course it is." Another voice replied. "And if we just inject this here, we should see some scales in a few days on the other side."

"But I was sure his arm shouldn't be like that right now." The first voice said, sounding uncertain.

Gilbert didn't want to hear anymore, not sure of what would be said next. He pushed the door open and came into the room, not even sure if Antonio was in there or not. Luckily for Gilbert, he was.

Antonio was lying on a hospital bed with three of the mad scientists around him. He didn't have a shirt on and it showered his upper right side was a snake's red, white, and black pattern. It went from the middle of his chest to partway down his upper right arm, with a few scales starting to show. And he had fangs like a snake poking out of his mouth.

Gilbert's hands clenched into fists when he saw his best friend like that and three scientists that were responsible for it.

"Vhat zhe hell did you do to him!?" was all Gilbert could get out before his fists started flying. He hit every scientist he could as hard as he could, yelling out curses and all kinds of profanities in German as he did.

It took seven minutes for Gilbert to get all of the scientists down. He was a little beat up himself, but the scientists hadn't been willing to hit Gilbert with anything they had been holding, fearing it would break or that something would get into his system that they needed.

Gilbert went over to Antonio and gently shook his shoulder.

"Toni? Toni, wake up, come on." He shook the unconscious Spaniard a little harder. "Come on, wake up!"

Antonio still wouldn't wake up, so Gilbert just hauled him up over his back and carried him out of the room.

"_Verdammen_, vhich vay did I come from?" Gilbert looked down both ways of the hall. It looked exactly the same to him. He thought for a minute before he heard the scientists behind him start to stir. He took off running down to the right, hoping it was the right way.

After running down several hallways, Gilbert stopped to catch his breath. He set the still unconscious Antonio down and leaned against the wall. He looked around some, just to find he was lost.

"Damn mad scientists. If zhey had given zhe awesome me another minute…" he looked over at Antonio and sighed softly. "Und zhere's nozhing I can do for Toni."

Gilbert heard a little girl's screaming and looked up. It had sounded close too. He slowly stood up and peered into the window.

In the room was a little girl being held down on an operating table. She had cat ears and a little tail. She was alone in there with a few other scientists. Gilbert looked a little closer and saw the scientists where cutting her open for one of their experiments. At least, Gilbert was sure that was it. And he found something stranger. The little girl wasn't anesthetized.

"…Vhat zhe hell are zhey doing?" Gilbert quietly asked no one. The scientists continued making the cut and the girl let out another scream.

Gilbert sat back down and realized he could hear more screams coming from down the hallway. All he could do for a few minutes was sit there and listen to the screams, his legs refusing to work at the moment.

When he was able to stand again, Gilbert checked to see if Antonio was still unconscious. He was, so Gilbert picked him up again and started walking back the way he had come. Luckily, he managed to avoid any mad scientists in the halls.

After a half hour or so, Gilbert managed to find the exit. His car was still there and still running. He opened the passenger door and got Antonio in. Once he was buckled in, Gilbert went around to the driver's side and got in. He took another look at Antonio before driving off again.

He drove at the speed limit this time, adding a few miles or so like everyone else, but Gilbert kept thinking about the screaming he had heard and the little girl with the cat ears.

"Something needs to be about zhis." He told himself as he stopped at a red light this time. "But no one is going to do anyzhing."

Gilbert glanced over at Antonio to see he was still out. "Looks like zhey got him anesthetized. He had zhe better end of the deal I guess." Then he shook his head, having second thoughts. "Zhere's no good side to zhis."

He looked back to the front just as the light turned green. He drove off again and continued to think about everyone that must be at that old hospital and Antonio, how he was now.


	2. Chapter 2

Soon enough, Gilbert arrived back at his house. He looked over at Antonio again, just to see he was still unconscious. He got out of his car and went to the other side to get his Spanish friend. He pulled him out of the car and carried him back to his house and lied him down on the sofa with a sigh. He sat down on a chair and held his head in his hands.

"Vhat zhe hell am I supposed to do?" He looked over at Antonio again. "Vhy did zhis have to happen? Vhy to _him_? Vhy not to somevone I don't know?"

He sat there for another hour, thinking things over, before he heard Antonio waking up. He looked over and watched the Spaniard sit up a little slowly.

"What…what happened?" Antonio slowly asked. "Where am I?"

"Toni?" Gilbert asked, getting up and going over to him. "How are you feeling?"

"…Cold. But what happened, Gil? I-I feel strange."

Gilbert looked down. "Zhere's a mirror in zhe hall."

"A mirror? But why would I-?"

"Mirror. Hallvay."

Antonio looked even more confused than he already did, but he nodded and slowly got up, making his way to the hallway. He looked in the mirror and couldn't believe what he was seeing. He had to check a few times before he came back.

"A snake?" Antonio asked Gilbert as he sat back down. "I won't be able to go outside again, Gil. I'll have to stay in my house. If I can even get back that is." He sighed sadly, looking down. "I'm ruined."

Gilbert hated to his friend like this. He couldn't let his friend stay like this. "I don't know vhat to do, Toni. I'm sorry."

"I understand. I… I guess I'll find a way back home…" Antonio looked down and then Gilbert felt like something snapped in his mind.

"Toni…You know zhat house mein grandvater gave to me und Ludvig?"

Antonio looked up at Gilbert and nodded. "Yeah. I know the one. We use to go hang out in it until your brother made us stop."

"Vell, it's still zhere. Maybe you could live zhere. Und I could live zhere vizh you, und if you don't mind living vizh ozher people, ve could get more people being experimented on und ve could save zhem und zhey could live zhere." Gilbert thought it was the most awesomest idea he ever thought of. He wasn't sure why he suddenly wanted to help what he hated, but he was sure that hate was fading. After he saw that little girl and heard the screaming and now that one of his best friends was like this, he wasn't sure he _could_ hate them anymore.

Antonio was silent for a moment before he nodded. "That sounds like a good idea, Gil. But a few things first. I thought you hated people who had been experimented on. And you know your brother won't be too thrilled with this."

Gilbert shrugged. "I guess I just had a change of heart. Und, don't vorry about mein bruder. _I'm_ zhe older vone, remember?"

"But no one would ever guess that." Antonio said with a slight laugh that sounded like half his normal laugh and half a hiss. He stopped quickly though. "I guess there are some things I am going to have to get used to, huh?"

Gilbert nodded. "You und me bozh." He stood up. "Vell, I zhink ve should get started."

"There was another thing." Antonio said, stopping him.

"Vhat? Can't ve just go?" Gilbert whined, looking at him.

"No. That house isn't safe, remember? It may be big, but it's really, really old too. It needs to be fixed up. A lot."

Gilbert stopped. "Oh. Right. Ja, I forgot about zhat. But! Ve can still use it! Ve just need to get it fixed up is all."

"Just the two of us?"

"Vell, ve'll need more. Francis can help…und I can get Ludvig to help us…. Und…zhey can help us."

"Just the four of us?" Antonio smiled with a shrug. "I see how that could work."

Gilbert smiled. "Awesome. I'll call Francis und leave a note for mein bruder before ve go. Ve'll stay zhere und keep vorking on it until it's done."

"That's going to take a lot of work, Gil. You know that, right?"

Gilbert looked at Antonio with a kind of determination that the albino had never shown before.

"I know it vill be hard vork. Und I know it vill take a vhile. But _I'm_ not going to stop until it's done. Zhen I'll rest before getting to zhe ozher hard stuff."

"What do you mean the other hard stuff? What more is there?"

Gilbert looked at him. "Actually, I'm going to have to Vest about zhat. I know zhere's more zhough. I just can't figure it out right now. So let's get going!"

"Actually, could we hold this off for an hour or so?" Antonio asked him.

"Vhat? Vhy?"

"Well, I know I was out for most of it, but I-"

"Vait. _Most_ of it? You could feel some of what they were doing to you?"

"I could feel it all until I passed out. I heard them saying something about me not lasting long enough before everything went black."

Gilbert frowned softly. "You felt everything…" He thought of the little girl he had seen and all the screaming he had heard again. "Zhis place ve're going to build, or rebuild, … it's going to seriously be like paradise. I promise."

"Why? Wouldn't it be fine just as a normal house? Just bigger?"

Gilbert shook his head. "No. It vouldn't be fine. After everyzhing everyone has been zhrough…after everyzhing zhey had done to zhem… it has to be perfect."

Antonio looked at him for a moment before nodding. "I see. You saw them, didn't you? The little ones?"

Gilbert slowly nodded. "Ja. I-I did."

Antonio nodded. "I see. Why don't you call your brother and I'll call Francis and I'll tell him what's going on."

"OK. Und zhen you just rest for a vhile before ve go out."

"Alright." Antonio reached over to the wide of the sofa and grabbed the house phone. He dialed Francis and waited. Gilbert watched for a moment before going into another room and calling Ludwig. He always found it more difficult for him to talk on the phone when someone else was too.

He scrolled through his contacts until he found Ludwig's name. He selected it and called him, then waited for him to pick up. Ludwig answered his phone not too long after.

"Hallo?" Ludwig asked.

"Ludvig. Somezhing happened und it's real bad, but I solved it for vone person, but not for everyvone else, but I know how to solve it, but I'm going to need your help und all und Toni und Francis are going to help, und-" Gilbert spoke fast until he was cut off by his brother.

"Vhat? Slow down, Gilbert. Vhat are you talking about?"

Gilbert took a deep breath before talking again. "You know zhe experiments zhey do on people vizh animals?"

"Ja, I know. Und you know I hate talking about it."

"I know you do. But zhey took Toni. I vent looking for him, so I vent to zhe old hospital-"

"You vent zhere? Vhat zhe hell, Gilbert! I zhought I told you not to go zhere!"

"I vas saving my friend." Gilbert told him, glaring at the wall. "I got Toni back und I realized zhat zhere are a lot of ozher people like him that people abuse every day."

"Vhat are you talking about, ozher people like him? You mean Spanish?"

Gilbert sighed loudly. "Nein. He vas experimented on."

There was silence on the other side of the line. After a minute when there was still no response, Gilbert continued talking.

"I brought him home. Und I vas zhinking, zhere are a lot of people like him zhat aren't being treated right. I vant to make a place for zhem to go und to live und zhey can be happy zhere und be treated like normal humans."

"Gilbert. Zhere isn't a place like zhat." Ludwig slowly said. "I'm sor-"

"Zhere's not a place like zhat _yet_ you mean."

"Gilbert, no. I don't zhink zhat vould be a good idea."

"Aaaawww, come on, Ludvig. I know zhe perfect place. Zhat old place zhat ve have. Ve aren't doing anyzhing vizh it. Ve could fix it up und clean it out und make it bigger und ve could get better stuff for it und ve could make it livable. Please? Toni is going to help. Und Francis vill too. Und I vill. Und ve vere hoping you could help us. Und ve could be doing it legally so zht zhey know ve're here. Please? _Bitte_?"

Ludwig was quiet for another minute before softly sighing. "Alright. I'll help. I know it's a good cause. I don't know if ve'll be able to pull zhis off zhough."

"But ve're going to try. Ve'll try our best. I at least vant zhem to know zhat zhere are people out zhere who care about zhem and are villing to help zhem."

"Alright. I'll get some zhings at zhe harvare store und come over."

Gilbert smiled. "_Danke_, Ludwvig."

"No problem. I'll see you later."

"Alright." Gilbert and Ludwig hung up. Gilbert put his phone back in his pocket and went back into the living room. He saw Antonio was done talking on the phone. He looked up when Gilbert came back in.

"Did you talk to him?" Antonio asked.

Gilbert nodded. "Ja, I did. Und he agreed to help."

Antonio smiled. "He did? That's amazing."

Gilbert nodded again. "Ja, I suppose it is. He just knows it's zhe right zhing to do."

Antonio nodded. "I see. Francis is coming over after his shift instead of going to the hospital. You told him to go there?"

"Uh, yeah. I figured zhat he vould help me find you. I vasn't going to let you stay zhere."

Antonio smiled. "You're a good friend, Gil." He leaned back into the sofa. "Do you have a shirt I could borrow?"

"Yeah, I'll go get vone."

"_Gracias._"

Gilbert nodded and headed up to his room. He didn't think much as he grabbed a shirt for Antonio and went back downstairs.

"Here." he said as he tossed the shirt to Antonio. He smiled and put it on a little slowly before leaning back into the sofa again. Gilbert had given him a long sleeved shirt since he said he was cold.

Gilbert sat down in a chair by the sofa. "So, all ve do now is vait for you to rest up. After zhat, ve'll grab some stuff here und zhen from your house. Zhen, ve'll head on down to the house."

Antonio nodded. "Sounds like a plan, Gil." He smiled softly before closing his eyes and drifting off a little. Gilbert leaned back into the chair and turned the T.V. on, turning the volume down so he could hear it without disturbing Antonio as he rested. He would just watch anything he found interesting until Antonio woke up. Then he could start working on his plan to help.


	3. Chapter 3

Gilbert was starting to fall asleep himself by the time Antonio woke up. He heard Antonio sitting up and he looked over at him. He rubbed his eyes a little and then looked at him.

"Vell, you're finally avake." Gilbert said with a smile.

"Looks like you're about to fall asleep though, amigo." Antonio happily said.

"You slept for a long time. I vas getting bored, und it's not like I vas going to leave you." He shrugged and stood up. "So, ve need to get some zhings here und vhatever you need from your house. Und zhen ve'll go."

Antonio nodded. "Sounds like a plan." He stood up as well. "So, uh, what exactly do we need?"

"Just some basic zhings. Food, vater und stuff, zome blankets. Zhings like zhat."

Antonio nodded, understanding the simplicity. "I'll get the food. You probably won't get much and bring only beer. You can get the other things we need."

"I vouldn't just bring beer!" Gilbert defensively said.

"Sure, sure. Whatever you say, Gil." Antonio went off to the kitchen, laughing.

Gilbert glared after him. "Vell, at least he's feeling better now." he told himself before heading upstairs.

Gilbert searched through the hall closet for some sleeping bags, blankets, pillows, flashlights, and some other necessities he was sure they would need while at the house. He found a box to put everything in and brought it down about a half hour later. He saw that Antonio had gotten a box full of food for them. Gilbert smiled when he saw some beers in there.

"Zhanks for getting some awesome drinks." Gilbert happily said.

Antonio looked at him. "Oh, just get the things in the car already."

"Kesesese, vhatever." He smiled and went outside to his car, putting his box down by the back. He opened the trunk and lifted the box up, putting it inside. He looked over at Antonio, who was coming out the door.

"Hey, are you OK vizh zhat box? Maybe I should have gotten it…"

"I'm fine." Antonio told him.

"Zhen vhat's taking so long?"

"I just feel strange is all."

"Oh, zhat's it?"

"Sí, that's it." Antonio came out of the house a little slowly and went over to where Gilbert was. He put the box in the trunk, next to the one Gilbert had put in there. He looked over at Gilbert. "You don't have Gilbird in there, do you?"

Gilbert laughed and shook his head. "Nein, of course not. I vas going to go get him."

Antonio slowly nodded. "Alright. I think it would be better if you left him here though." He told him with a shrug.

"Leave mein Gilbird all alone here? Never! You get in zhe car, und I'll go get him."

"Fine, whatever." Antonio said before going around to get in the car.

Gilbert stuck his tongue out in his direction, not noticing how childish it was, before he went back into the house. "Of course I vas going to get Gilbird, vhat is he, an idiot?" he mumbled to himself as he walked up the stairs. He went into his room, opening the door a little quietly. He smiled a little to himself when he saw his small yellow bird sitting in his open birdcage, napping.

"Hey, Gilbird. Vake up, mein little vögel (bird)." He quietly said.

The small bird slowly opened his eyes and shook out his feathers a little before being still and looking at the albino in front of him.

"Come on, ve're going somvhere." Gilbert smiled as Gilbird flew out of his cage and settled himself on the Prussian's head. Gilbert then went back down the stairs and out to his car, getting into the driver's seat.

"So he's coming with us?" Antonio asked when he saw Gilbird.

"Of course. Vhy vouldn't he?" Gilbert replied, starting his car, just to have it stall. He growled a little and started it up again, glad that it actually worked the second time.

"You need a new car, Gil." Antonio told him as they pulled out of the driveway.

"I do not." Gilbert mumbled, and started driving down the road to Antonio's house.

"Yes, you do. It always stalls or stops in the middle of the road. I think it's time, amigo."

Gilbert glared at the road ahead of them. "I don't need a new car." he told him, his grip tightening on the wheel.

"Your hermano(brother) would agree with me. You know that."

Gilbert sent him a death glare and Antonio back up a little.

"OK, OK. Just…think about it?" Antonio knew it was a long shot to ask though.

"Zhis is my car und I vill not give it up until it falls apart."

Antonio sighed softly. "Alright. Fine."

Gilbert nodded. "You should have known I von't give zhis zhing up zhough."

"I know."

Gilbert got them to Antonio's house a few minutes later and parked in the driveway.

"Alright, ve're here." Gilbert told him, getting out of the car. Antonio got out with him and looked at him.

"I want to make this quick." Antonio told him.

"Ja, I know." Gilbert told him as they started walking to the front door. Gilbert opened it and looked back at Antonio. "I'll stay here und vait until you have everyzhing you need."

"Alright. I shouldn't be long." Antonio told him before going up the stairs.

Gilbert closed the door and put his hands in his pockets as he went into the kitchen. "Toni should have some beer, right?" he muttered to himself. He went over to the refrigerator and opened it, hoping to see some in there. He didn't see any at first and frowned slightly before he started looking through the contents of the fridge. He sighed when his search ended up with nothing. He closed the door and leaned against it.

"Vhy zhe hell doesn't he have any beer?" He crossed his arms and pouted for a short moment. "Vhat kind of a house is zhis?"

Antonio came back downstairs soon enough and found Gilbert in his kitchen.

"Where you looking for beer?" he wondered.

Gilbert nodded. "Ja. Your house is messed up." He stopped leaning against the refrigerator, standing up, and looked at his friend. "Do you have everything?"

Antonio nodded. "Sí. I do."

"Good. Let's get going zhen." He led Antonio outside to his old car and opened the trunk, letting Antonio put his things in there.

Antonio looked at Gilbert's car disapprovingly, but didn't say anything about it this time as he put his bag in the back and went to get in the passenger's side as Gilbert shut the trunk. He came back around up front and got in the driver's seat.

Antonio looked over when he got in and started the car up. It took another few minutes, but eventually it eventually started after a few minutes. Gilbert seemed satisfied that it did and he started driving off again.

"Is it alright with you if I turn the radio on?" Antonio asked, knowing Gilbert sometimes didn't like it on.

"Ja, but keep zhe volume down. Gilbird's still asleep."

Antonio nodded. "Sure thing." He reached over and turned the radio on, then turned it down so it was just loud enough to hear. He leaned back in the seat and watched as the familiar scenery went by.

After about ten minutes of driving on the road, Gilbert turned onto a small dirt road that almost no one saw. Gilbert soon had to slow down, since the trees were blocking the light from the sun and visibility. He didn't need his headlights on just yet, and he was glad they didn't go any later.

After another hour or so, they got to an old fashioned house. It was run-down, and seemed extremely unsafe to be living in, but Gilbert saw the potential it had to be what he wanted it to be. He smiled and parked the car by the house. He looked over to Antonio. "Vant to just vait in here until Vest und Francis get here?"

Antonio nodded. "Sure. We can't really do anything without the supplies anyway."

"Yup." Gilbert leaned back in his seat and checked his rear view mirror, just to see the forest. He turned the volume up a little more and the two listened to it as they waited.

* * *

_Short A/N: I'm gonna let you guys that are wondering know that there isn't going be a lot of characters introduced during Gil's part of the whole story. But they will all get here in their good time. You just have to be patient. _


	4. Chapter 4

After an hour or so of listening to the radio and light conversations, another car pulled up into the small clearing. Gilbert opened his door and stepped out of his car, just as his brother stepped out of the other.

"Vest! Vhat zhe hell took you?!" Gilbert called, going over to him as Antonio got out of the car and looked over.

"You had me go to zhe hardvare store, und zhat's not exactly around zhe corner, Gilbert." Ludwig told him, leaning against his car and looking over at the old house they had inherited. "Vhat do you plan to do vizh it?"

Gilbert stopped walking, having gotten over to his brother, and looked up at the house as well.

"Ve're going to make it awesome. Zhe best place in zhe vorld." he paused a moment before asking, a little sheepishly, "You know how to, like, you know, start a business und all, right? You studied zhat or somezhing like it?"

Ludwig nodded. "Ja, I know how." He looked at his older brother. "Vhy?"

"Vell… I con't go around… 'stealing'," he made air quotes around the word, "people, now can I?" he looked back to Ludwig. "But if ve make zhis zhing legal, ve could save zhem from ozher people."

Ludwig thought about it for a moment. "I zhink I can manage to get zhat done legally." He knew his brother must really care about this if he wanted it done the right way. "It's going to need a name if it's going to be like zhat, zhough."

"I know, I know." Gilbert said, waving the matter away. "Zhat comes later. Now ve have to get zhis place ready!"

"Shouldn't we wait until morning?" Antonio asked. Neither German had seen him come over, but both looked at him when he spoke. Gilbert looked up at the sky and saw the cleared space he could see was growing darker.

"…Ja. I suppose ve should. Vhat's keeping Francis zhough?" He looked back down to the earth and looked back at the small dirt path of a road. "He knows vhere zhis place is."

"Maybe you should call him again." Antonio said.

"Vhy don't you?"

"My phone is dead."

"…Oh. I guess I vill zhen." He took out his phone to call Francis when he saw some headlights coming from down the path. "Zhis better be him." he said to no one in particular.

The car pulled up into the clearing. Gilbert easily recognized it as Francis' car. When the Frenchman parked and came out of the car, Gilbert came up to him with a glare.

"Vhat zhe hell took you so long?" Gilbert asked, crossing his arms.

"Zhere was traffic." Francis simply stated. When Gilbert didn't say anything and kept glaring at him, he sighed. "OK, I got a little lost and I 'ad to work overtime." He admitted. Gilbert nodded and backed up some.

"Alright. You could have just called zhough."

"I was working."

"…Right. Vell, ve can't get started until tomorrow morning. Since you two came too late." He gestured to his brother and Francis. "But, zhat's fine. As long as it does get done, zhat is."

"Toni didn't tell me exactly what we were going to do." Francis told him.

"Vhat ve vere going to do." Gilbert looked to Antonio, then to Francis. "OK, ve're going to make zhis old place better. Und bigger. Un awesomer. Und ve're going to save all zhose people being experimented on. It vill be safe here for zhem."

Francis smiled and nodded. "Zhat zounds like a good idea."

"Yes, but we're going to start working on it tomorrow morning." Antonio said, coming over to them.

"Oh ja. Right." Gilbert looked at Francis. "It's getting kind of dark, so…"

"Zo I came out here when I could have come tomorrow." Francis stated, crossing his arms.

"Vhat? Hell no! If you had gone home, zhen ve vould have had to vait for you to get up und get ready und you know how long you can sleep in vhen you're not vorking, und ve need to start vorking on zhis zhing ASAP. Zhere are a lot of people out zhere zhat need to be here."

Francis sighed and nodded. "I suppose you are right." He looked around at the small clearing and his gaze landed on the house. "But we're not spending the night in _zhere_, are we?" he asked, gesturing to the house.

Gilbert looked back at it, then back to Francis. "No, of course not. Are you crazy? Ve brought sleeping bags so ve're just going to sleep on zhe ground."

Francis looked at him for a minute, deciding if he was serious or not. Deciding he was, he nodded. "Alright. We'll sleep on the ground zhen."

Gilbert smiled and looked over to Ludwig. "Hey, Vest, you brought a sleeping bag, right?"

Ludwig looked over at him. "Ja, und I brought an extra one."

"I'm using it." Francis told them. He wasn't going to sleep on the dirt.

Gilbert laughed his hiss-like laugh. "Of course you're using it. Zhat's vhy ve brought it."

"Fine."

Gilbert nodded. "Come on, Toni. Our stuff's in my car." He started walking towards it. Antonio stayed behind for a moment and looked at the other two.

"Don't you think Gil needs a new car?" he asked them.

Ludwig didn't say anything and went to his car, pretending he thought he was just talking to Francis. Francis looked at him and then to Gilbert's car and shrugged. "That one's really old. Does it run?"

"Not really. It keeps stalling."

" 'E should get a new one. He can just get another Volkswagen."

"That's what I was telling him. He just told me to be quiet and that his car was so gr-" He got cut off when he got hit from behind by a sleeping bag Gilbert threw at him.

"I told you to get over here, didn't I?" Gilbert called to him, smirking as Antonio looked back at him.

"Shut up! Francis agrees with me that you need a new car!" Antonio called back.

Gilbert mocked hurt, a hand over his chest. "Vhat? Und I zhought you vere on _my _side." He smiled again, and brought his sleeping bag over to a spot between the cars, where Ludwig had already lied out the two he had brought and was sitting on one. Antonio and Francis came over and Antonio lied his own bag down.

"Zo, do we even 'ave a plan?" Francis asked them all as they sat down.

"Vell, I vas figuring ve vould go into zhe house to see vhat needed to be done und if we need to tear anyzhing down or just build supports for it." Gilbert said, looking back to the house. "Ve'll need to knock out a vall zhough to make more space for sure. Who knows how many people ve'll end up having here." He smiled as he imagined how it was going to be.

The others saw Gilbert was lost in thought and didn't disturb him. Francis and Antonio started softly talking about something the three of them had been doing the last week, before they crawled into their sleeping bags and fell asleep. Ludwig was the next to get to sleep an hour or so later when he saw his brother was still occupied.

Eventually, Gilbert got tired and fell asleep with his head in his arms as he sat, facing the old house. And he dreamed of how great he was sure it was going to be.


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning, Gilbert was the first one to wake up. He yawned as he did, noticing the sun wasn't up yet. He could barely see, but he knew it was early and the sun should be rising soon. He stretched and looked behind him at the other three. He didn't see any movement, so he assumed the others were asleep.

He looked back in the direction of the old house and could make out the outline of it. "Since no vone's avake, I suppose I'll go take a look in zhe house by myself." He said aloud to nobody. He grabbed up a flashlight he had kept close to him during the night and turned it so the light shone in the direction of the house and wouldn't bother the others.

Gilbert stood up and started walking towards the house. He looked back after a few minutes, but they were still sleeping. He wondered if he should leave a note or something, but then he decided against it. He figured he would just check out the house and be back before the sun was up.

He continued to make his way to the house, getting there after a moment. He gently put a hand on the doorknob and turned it, slowly opening the door. It creaked a little loudly and Gilbert noticed all the dust it kicked up.

"Vere ve really avay from here for zhat long?" he asked himself, carefully walking in. The floorboards creaked under his feet, and he wasn't sure if it would continue to support him. But he kept walking anyway.

He got to the other wide of the room where the light switch was and tried it. Just as he expected, though, the light didn't turn on. "Ve're going to have to fix zhat." he told himself. He shined the light around to see everything was just as he remembered it being. Everything was old and dust was over most things. There were more spider webs than he remembered though. "I guess I should check upstairs too."

Gilbert went over to the stairs and started to walk up them. They creaked loudly under his feet and he was surprised some of them were still there. He got to the middle of the staircase, though, and his foot went through the stair. He almost fell, but he grabbed the handrail and his balance. He got his foot out of the stair, cursing under his breath before continuing upstairs.

When he got up there, he shone the flashlight down the hall and saw the doors were open except for one. He had always remembered it being closed. Ludwig and him had been told to never go in that room, but now that it was theirs and it was most likely going to be torn down partially and rebuilt, Gilbert decided that he should go see what was in there that was so important.

He carefully walked down the hall and to the door. "Hopefully it's not locked." he murmured, turning the knob and gently pushing. When that didn't work, he pulled gently and the door opened. Before going in, he shone the light in the room.

There didn't seem to be much of anything in there, but Gilbert knew if it was important, it would be hidden. He slowly went into the room, making sure the floor didn't give way. He tried the light switch again, but that was only because it was natural. The lights still didn't turn on. He shone the light around and saw a chest on the side of the room he couldn't see when opening the door.

"Vonder vhat's in zhere. Maybe money, or family jewels." He smiled at the thought, figuring that would really help them right now. "Don't you let me down, old man." He mumbled as he went over to the chest. He knelt down in front of it and slowly opened the chest and shone the light inside of it. "Oh mein Gott…" he softly breathed. "He kept zhis stuff? It must be important." He shifted some things around and found a note that was addressed to him. He picked it up and read the short note.

_'Gilbert-_

_ Keep this secret from your brother for as long as you can. He doesn't need to know about this in case it brings up any memories. I'm sure you remember what had happened. And I know you know we need to keep him safe from all this. But make sure that you __never__ get rid of these things. There is someone else who knows about this. I do not know where they are or who they are, but I do know they were in the same situation as Ludwig. Whoever it was seemed important. I know they'll remember Ludwig and everything in here. If you manage to find them, show them these things as soon as you can. It will help Ludwig. _

The note was in German and there wasn't a signature, but Gilbert didn't need one to know who it was from.

"Vhat's wrong vizh Vest?" he asked himself. He decided to ignore it for the time being and folded the note, putting it in his pocket before closing the chest. "I suppose I should bring zhis down. But how can I keep Vest from opening it?" He thought for a minute before shrugging, figuring he'd think of something before he was asked about it.

Gilbert grabbed the chest and dragged it across the floor. He was almost to the door when a section of the floor gave way and he and the chest went falling down into the kitchen. He let out a yell of surprise and hit the table, the chest landing on the floor.

"Ow." He groaned a little as he sat up. His back hurt, but he knew it wasn't broken. He was a little cut up too, but Gilbert knew he'd be fine. "Vell at least I don't have to figure out how to get it downstairs now. He saw his flashlight had fallen from his hand and was on the other side of the kitchen. He got up and walked over to the flashlight, picking it up before going back to the chest and grabbed it, pulling it out of the house and back to where the others were sleeping. He got the chest in front of his sleeping bag and sat down on it, waiting for them to wake up.


	6. Chapter 6

_Small A/N: I know the chapters have kept getting shorter and I was going to make the last one longer, but I had a wedding to go to and got rushed. I'll try to make them longer from now on._

Ludwig woke up not too long after Gilbert came back. The sun was starting to rise by then. Ludwig stretched, sitting up and looked over at Gilbert.

"Gilbert? Vhere did you get zhat chest?" Ludwig asked.

"Oh, just in zhe house." Gilbert replied.

"You vent into zhe house alone? You know how dangerous it is in zhere."

Gilbert shrugged, wincing slightly at a pain in his shoulder he hadn't noticed before. "Vell, you guys vere sleeping und I didn't vant to vake you."

Ludwig noticed his brother wincing when he moved his shoulder, even though he was trying to hide it.

"Are you alright?" Ludwig asked him.

"Of course I'm alright." Gilbert quickly told him. "I just fell und got a little bruised up is all."

"Vhere did you fall from? You have dust und rubble all over you."

"Don't vorry about it." Gilbert said, which is what caused Ludwig to worry more. He knew his brother wouldn't tell him though.

"Fine." He said with a soft sigh. "So, vhat's in zhe chest zhen?"

"Vhat chest?" Gilbert gave him a blank look as if he didn't knonw what he was talking about.

"The vone you're sitting on."

"The vone I'm sitting on?" Gilbert mumbled slightly as if thinking. "Oh, zhis zhing?" He patted the chest.

Ludwig nodded. "Ja, zhat."

"Zhis is a rock." Gilbert stated as if it were a clear fact. "Und it's comfortable."

"Zhat's a chest, Gilbert."

The older German shook his head, crossing his arms. "Nein, zhis is a rock."

"Stop messing around. Vhat's in zhe chest?"

"Rocks. A bunch of rocks." Gilbert lied easily.

Ludwig looked at him for a moment. "…Rocks? Zhat's all?"

"Zhat's all." Gilbert confirmed. "Rocks."

"Vhy?"

"Ich weiβe nicht. Es ist nicht mein." (I don't know. It's not mine. *the translation may not be exact and I may have misspelled something, but that's pretty much it.)

Ludwig sighed again, knowing that was the best answer he would get. "Vhy are you so stubborn?" Ludwig asked him.

"Because my answers are always right." Gilbert simply told him. "Und zhey're alvays right because awesome people like me can't be wrong. It's just not possible."

Ludwig rolled his eyes and looked over at the other two. "Vhen do you suppose zhey'll vake up?"

Gilbert shrugged, wincing again at the pain. "Soon."

"Und vhat if zhey're not?"

"I'll vake zhem up zhen."

Ludwig shook his head. "Zhings don't alvays have to go your vay, you know."

"Of course zhey do. Und besides, ve need to get zhis done as soon as possible." He looked back at the house. "Zhe sooner it gets done, zhe sooner ve can start doing good."

Ludwig nodded. "Ja." He looked at Gilbert and saw how determined he really was.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Antonio woke up and then Francis woke soon after he did.

"Gil? What happened?" Antonio asked after rubbing the sleep from his eyes and looking at his friend, seeing how he looked different from last night.

Gilbert turned around and looked at him. He smiled at his two friends.

"Oh, notzhing, really. I just vent into zhe house und looked around some."

"What?! But you know how dangerous that is! The last time we went in there-"

"Zhe last time ve vent in zhere, ve vere stupid."

"You still are." Ludwig said under his breath. Gilbert pretended not to hear it though.

"Vell, from vhat I can see, ve're going to have to pretty much renovate zhe whole zhing. It's not safe at all. It vill still be zhe same, zhough, but ve may have to make some additions in zhe back. Zhere's enough room to. The furniture, zhere has to be more, und zhe stuff zhat's zhere, ve need to replace most of it."

" 'Ey, Gil. We just woke up." Francis told him through a yawn.

Gilbert seemed to glare in his direction. "Und you vant me to go easy on you because of zhat? Ve need to get zhis done as soon as possible."

Francis looked at him. "Can I at least get some coffee first?"

Gilbert paused for a moment before nodding. "I suppose. But you better come back here as soon as you get your coffee."

"Fine, fine. I will." Francis told him, waving him off. He stood up and stretched before heading over to his car.

Gilbert watched as he did before turning back to Antonio. "Do you have anyzhing you need to do before ve start?" he asked.

Antonio looked up at him and then around at everything before looking back to Gilbert again. "No. I don't think so. A little more light would be nice, but this is fine." He smiled. "We may need some more things though, but that's not a personal thing."

Gilbert smiled, glad Antonio was cooperating better. "Awesome." He looked to the house again, then back to Antonio. "Ve're going to have to get started zhough. Who knows how long zhis is going to take." He looked to his brother. "Vest."

Ludwig looked up at him. "Yes?"

"After ve get close to getting everzhing done, I vant you to go do your legal zhing, OK? Ve'll get zhis zhing started."

"Und you'll come up vizh a name by zhen, ja?"

"Of course I vill. I'm already zhinking of vone now."

"Vhat is it?"

"… Uh… I said I vas zhinking about it! Don't rush me!"

"Fine." Ludwig simply said, standing up. "Just make sure you tell me."

"I vill!" Gilbert looked to Antonio. "So come on. Let's get started."

Antonio stood up with a smile. "Alright."

"So, ve'll start vizh moving some furniture out of zhe house. Ve'll bring it all out here." He gestured around the area they were in now. "Und ve'll see vhat time it is vhen ve get zhat done."

Antonio nodded. "Alright. Sounds like a plan."

Ludwig agreed. "Alright. But vhat about everyzhing upstairs?"

Gilbert thought for a moment and then shrugged. "Ve'll figure zhat out vhen ve get zhere, alright?"

"You should really plan zhings zhrough."

"You know, Ludvig." He paused for a moment. "Zhis is really zhe first zhing I can remember really zhinking zhrough. Zhis is somezhing zhat I'm going to make happen. Seriously."

Ludwig smiled softly. "Zhen let's get started."

Gilbert smiled and the three of them walked to the house and went inside. Each of them brought a small but powerful flashlight in case it was too dark to see inside. Luckily, the sun shone through the cracks in the walls and the dusty windows well enough for them to be able to see.

"Ve'll start vizh zhe living room." Gilbert told them. "Zhen ve move to zhe family room und zhe kitchen, alright."

The other two nodded and agreed with him. He smiled. "Let's go zhen." He led them to the living room with all the old furniture still there. There was dust over everything as there had been before.

"How long has it been since we stopped coming here?" Antonio asked, looking around.

"A long time. A few years after Grandfazher died." Gilbert told him.

Antonio nodded some. "A long time ago."

There was a short silence before Gilbert broke it. "Let's start vizh zhe couch."

Ludwig looked at it a little apprehensively. It was covered with a light layer of dust and it looked like some moths may have gotten to it. Gilbert saw how Ludwig was looking at it as he and Antonio went over to it.

"Oh, come _on_, Vest. It kills me a little too, but vonce we get zhis place fixed up und ready, it'll be all clean again. Just like it used to be." He looked around a little and grabbed one end of the sofa. "Ve may have to make a few more changes zhan I zhought zhough." He looked to Ludwig again. "Get zhe ozher side."

Ludwig nodded and went to the other side of the couch, grabbing it. Gilbert counted, and on three, the brothers lifted. They slowly walked out of the house, carrying the couch and Antonio followed them, carrying a small table. They brought the couch and sofa out to where they had slept and put them down.

"Vhat ozher zhings vere you zhinking about adding to the house?" Ludwig asked Gilbert as they walked back.

He shrugged and told him, "I'm not too sure right now. But ve don't have to vorry about it right now. Right now all ve need to vorry about is getting zhe furniture und everyzhing out. Zhen ve vorry about vhat ve're going to do."

Ludwig nodded. "Alright."

Gilbert smiled and the three of them continued to move everything out of the living room and outside. When they started to get to work on the family room, Francis pulled back up. Gilbert watched as he did, leaning, leaning against a bookshelf they had brought out a few minutes ago.

Francis turned off his car and got out, noticing Gilbert watching him. He smiled a little sheepishly and walked over to him.

"So we are taking furniture out?" Francis asked him.

"How long does it take to get coffee?" Gilbert asked him, crossing his arms and glaring at him a little. It wasn't a real glare though.

Francis shrugged. "Zhe line was long."

"Oh, vas it now?" Gilbert asked.

"It was." Francis insisted.

"Alright, fine. Ve're taking zhings out of zhe family room now, OK?"

Francis nodded. "Alright."

"Und you can help Toni get stuff out. Vest is helping me."

Francis nodded again and followed Gilbert into the house and the family room. There was still a lot of things there, but there wasn't as much as there had been. Francis went over to Antonio and helped him lift up a table. Gilbert went and helped Ludwig lift another bookshelf.

The four of them continued to move furniture for a majority of the day, stopping at about noon to eat lunch and then continued to move things out of the house. They got to the kitchen a little after two in the afternoon.

"Gilbert! I zhought you said not to worry about vhere you fell from!" Ludwig yelled at seeing the mess of the ceiling on the floor.

Gilbert rubbed the back of his neck a little. "Ah, vell, you know. I didn't get hurt."

"You could have been killed from zhat!"

"Stop exaggerating. Zhat couldn't kill zhe awesome me." Gilbert crossed his arms.

"I can see some blood on zhe floor!" Ludwig pointed to some dried blood on the table.

Gilbert looked away from him. "Ja, vell, I'm fine. So don't vorry about it. Let's just get zhis stuff out of here, alright?"

Ludwig nodded. "Fine."

Gilbert smiled and he and Ludwig pushed the rubble off the table before lifting it and bringing it outside as Francis and Antonio brought some chairs out. It took them a little longer to get everything out of the kitchen since they had to move around the partially fallen ceiling. They kept working until the sun started to set and they couldn't see anything in the house.

The four of them went back to where they were and Gilbert started up a fire. He sat on the sofa with Francis and Antonio and Ludwig sat on a chair across from that.

"You know zhat vas-" Gilbert started.

"I know whose it was." Ludwig softly said. It was their grandfather's chair. He used to always sit in it. It was the only thing Ludwig remembered about him. And though he would never admit it, he felt closer to his grandfather when he sat in the chair. He had always sat in it when Gilbert and his friends were in the house.

Gilbert nodded. "Alright." He smiled softly. They had already eaten a small dinner, so they weren't worried about eating again until morning. Gilbert looked over at Antonio who had curled up in a blanket and fallen asleep a little while ago. He then looked to Francis who was falling asleep himself. Then he looked back to Ludwig who was tending to the fire.

"How long do you zhink zhis vill take?" Gilbert softly asked.

Ludwig shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe a monzh or more."

"A monzh?" Gilbert sighed and leaned back into the sofa. "Seriously?"

"You knew it vasn't going to be easy from zhe start."

"I know. I just…I just vish ve could get zhis done sooner."

"But ve've done a lot for today." Ludwig told him.

Gilbert nodded. "I suppose you're right." He looked back at Ludwig. "So we'll start up again in zhe morning?"

Ludwig smiled some and nodded. "Ja. In zhe morning."

Gilbert smiled back. "Night zhen."

"Good night, Gilbert."

Gilbert got comfortable on the sofa and closed his eyes, falling asleep soon after he did.


	7. Chapter 7

The next day, Gilbert was the first to wake up again, but this time he stayed where he was. Ludwig woke up soon after he did and Antonio and Francis were soon to follow.

"Do you need any coffee zhis morning?" Gilbert asked Francis with a small glare.

Francis looked up at him and saw the look he was giving him. "No. I'm fine zhis morning." He told him.

Gilbert nodded. "Gut. Now, let's get going. Ve still need to finish clearing out zhe house." He started walking towards the house, then looked back at the other three that were still sitting there.

"Come on you gyus. Ve need to get zhis done!"

Ludwig slowly got up and walked to the house. Antonio and Francis, however, stayed on the couch. Gilbert walked over to them.

"Guys. Get up off your asses und come on." he told them.

Antonio looked up at him. "But Gil, we worked all day yesterday. Can't we rest for a little while?"

"Nein. Vonce ve get everyzhing done, zhen ve can rest. Zhe sooner ve start, zhe sooner ve can get zhis done."

Antonoi slowly nodded. "OK. You get started with your hermano (brother. Was iffy with this one, so translation.) and we'll be there in a minute."

Gilbert looked at him for a minute or so before nodding. "Fine. But if you're not zhere, I'm coming out und getting you."

Antonio nodded. "Fair enough."

Gilbert nodded and headed back into the house with his brother.

"Are zhey coming?" Ludwig asked, going to the next room they needed to clear out.

"Zhey vill be. If zhey's not here soon, I'm going to go get zhem."

Ludwig nodded. "Alright." He grabbed a small table and a chair and started walking out.

Gilbert shrugged and grabbed two chairs, following him. "I don't know vhy zhey're complaining zhough." He grumbled.

"Vell, not everyvone zhinks how you do." Ludwig told him.

"It vould be better if zhey did! Und besides, zhis is important. Zhey should help right avay."

They got outside and Ludwig didn't say anything since Antonio and Francis were still there. Thye put the table and chairs down and went back to the house. Ludwig responded to Gilbert then.

"I zhink zhey know vhy zhis is so important to you, but I don't zhink zhey vant zhings to change."

But vhy not?!" Gilbert was starting to become frustrated, and Ludwig could tell he was.

"I don't know, Gilbert. Maybe zhey're scared of upsetting zhe balance."

"But ve're changing it, not upsetting it!" Gilbert stopped walking and looked at his brother. "Ve're going to change zhings!"

Ludwig stopped walking as well. "Bruder… change is sometimes hard." he gently told him.

Gilbert glared at him. "Zhen ve have to vork harder! Zhat's all! If change is trying to not happen, zhat only means ve have to vork harder to make it happen!"

"I'm not disagreeing vizh you, Gilbert."

"Vell, it sure sounds like it." Gilbert started walking back to the room they were clearing out. Ludwig followed after him.

"Gilbert, I'm sorry." He saw Gilbert trying to move a cabinet and he helped him with it. "But, zhey know zhis von't be easy und zhey may not vant to help because of zhat. Or because zhey're scared of getting in trouble."

They started to move the cabinet and Gilbert didn't talk while they did. He was thinking. He didn't want to make his friends do something they didn't want to. He didn't have a lot of friends anyway, and he didn't want to lose these two.

The brothers got the cabinet outside and put it down with the other things. Ludwig went back to the house, but Gilbert stayed back with Francis and Antonio.

"Hey, uh, guys?" he looked over at them and saw he had their attention, so he continued. "If you guys really don't want to help, you don't have to. I'm not going to make you. I mean, it vould be great to have your help, but…" he trailed off with a shrug and looked up at them. Francis softly smiled at hm.

"Gilbert, we're still going to help you." Antonio told him.

"You are?" Gilbert hopefully asked.

"Of course." Francis told him, standing up. "You just 'ave zo much energy for zhis, and we don't. Toni just got back from being experimented on. I'm not a morning person and just 'ace less motivation to do physical labor like zhis. We just need a little time to wake up too, no?"

Gilbert smiled. "Alright. Awesome. Zhanks, guys."

"No problem." Antonio happily said. "We'll get helping soon."

Gilbert nodded. "OK." Then he went back to the house to help Ludwig again.

"Did you get everyzhing settled?" his brother asked.

"Ja. Zhey just need to vake up." Gilbert told him, grabbing something to bring it outside. Ludwig nodded and soon enough, Antonio and Francis joined them. The four of them cleared out the downstairs soon enough. They then looked to Gilbert.

"So, have you figured this part out?" Antonio asked.

Gilbert thought for a moment before nodding. "Sort of. Ve'll start vizh zhe smaller zhings first, und zhen ve'll vorry about zhe bigger, heavier zhings."

Nobody had any objections, so they made their way upstairs. They were careful walking on the old floor.

"Star vizh zhe stuff in zhe hallvay." Gilbert told them. "Zhen go in vhatever room you vant." He looked at Ludwig a little. He thought for a moment, then started for the far end of the hall. He grabbed a coat stand that had rarely been used. He took another small thing at the end of the hall and started walking back.

"Hey, Gil?" Antonio asked when he was about halfway down the hall, causing him to stop walking.

"Ja, Toni?" Gilbert asked, and looked over. He saw that Antonio was looking back at him from by the room where the chest had been, holding the door open.

"There's a hole in the floor…"

Gilbert gave a nervous laugh. "Oh, yeah, zhat."

"I don't remember this being here."

"…I fell. Don't go in zhere." he told him after a moment before walking again. He got back to the stairs and walked down them, bringing the things he had outside and putting them down. He went back into the house and they continued to take things out of the hallway and rooms until all of the lighter things were out of the house.

"So, what are we doing about the 'eavier zhings?" Francis asked when they all met up in the hallway.

"I guess ve'll just help each other bring down zhe heavier zhings, und ve're going to have to be _very_ careful." Gilbert told them.

"What about the room with the hole in it? There's things in there, but we can't exactly get them with that hole right in front of the doorway." Antonio told him.

Gilbert thought about it for a moment. "Ve can just break zhe floor und build in a new vone later?" he suggested. They all looked at him.

"Break…zhe floor?" Francis asked, curiously.

Gilbert nodded with a smile, as if he had come up with the most brilliant idea in the world.

Antonio looked to Ludwig and asked, "Do you have an idea?"

Ludwig looked back at him and shook his head. "Not particularly. Vizh zhat hole zhere, zhere isn't really anozher vay to get the furniture down. At least, none zhat Gilbert vould find sufficient."

Antonio nodded and looked back to Gilbert. "Alright. Your plan it is then."

"How dare you doubt me. My plan vas awesome zhe moment I zhought of it." Gilbert told him.

"Well, zhen how are we going to get zhe floor down?" Francis asked.

"Obviously ve…." Gilbert paused for a few seconds, and then decided, "Ve put heavy stuff on zhe floor of course."

"Gilbert, I don't zhink zhat vill vork." Ludwig told him.

"Sure it vill. Just get some heavy zhings ve can lift und throw zhem in zhere und break zhe floor until zhe whole zhing collapses."

Since no one was coming up with any other ideas, they went with that one. They went to different rooms and got a few heavy things and threw them into the room. After just a few things, the floor gave way and broke. The four backed up from the room and then Antonio, Francis, and Gilbert cheered when they heard everything hitting the floor.

"Awesome! It vorked!"

After their little victory, Antonio and Francis went downstairs to take the things out of the kitchen and Gilbert and Ludwig took the things upstairs outside. By the end of the day, they had the house completely cleared out. With all of them exhausted after two days straight of work, once everyone had sat down, they fell asleep instantly.


	8. Chapter 8

"Ve need at least a basic idea of vhat you vant zhe house to look like, Gilbert." Ludwig told his brother as they all were eating breakfast.

Gilbert looked up at the sky and thought for a moment. "Alright… I need a place to write it down zhough." He slowly told him. He was starting to think of an idea, but he was sure they wouldn't be able to understand if he described it. And he wasn't very good at doing that anyway. He looked at Ludwig. "Do ve have any paper or anyzhing here?"

"Ve'll have to look, but I'm sure ve do." Ludwig told him.

Gilbert nodded. "Alright." He and Ludwig got up and started looking for a piece of paper or a notepad. Francis and Antonio looked around for a pen or pencil. Gilbert found a notepad and Francis found a pen. They came together and Ludwig brought a table over. Gilbert put the notepad down on the table and flipped it over to a clear page. Francis gave him the pen and he started to plan out things. The other three of them waited for Gilbert to finish. It took him a little while, but after a few minutes, he put the pen down and leaned back in his seat. "Finished." He told them. The other three looked at the notepad.

On it was a crude drawing of a house. It looked somewhat like the house, but there were a few extra floors and the back of the house had several more rooms added. The house was wider and much bigger than the original.

"Zhis is vhat you couldn't explain?" Ludwig asked, looking up at Gilbert. The older brother nodded.

"Ja. It sounds more complicated in my head zhen vhat it looks like." he defensively told him.

"Right. I'm sure. Is zhis drawn to scale?"

"Of course it is! Vhy vould I draw somezhing out of scale?"

"Because you lack zhe skill to."

Gilbert glared at him. "I don't lack zhe skill to do anyzhing!"

"I can name ten zhings."

"Ja? Vell do it zhen!"

" 'Old on, you two." Francis said, stopping the fight before it began. "Zhis izn't going to 'elp anyzhing. Can we just get zhe measurements and all zhe zhings we need so we can get started on zhis?"

Ludwig and Gilbert both looked at him.

"Fine." Gilbert grumbled. "But I'm going vizh Vest to get-"

"No. You two will kill each ozher." Francis cut him off. "I'll go wizh 'im."

Gilbert sighed after a minute. "Fine."

"Alright." Francis picked up the notepad and looked to Ludwig. "Let's get going."

Ludwig didn't look too thrilled about having to go get the supplies with Francis but he nodded. "Fine." The two went to Ludwig's car and were driving off after a minute. Antonio looked to Gilbert.

"So, what do we do?" Antonio asked, not sure.

"Vell, ve do zhe only logical zhing. Tear down zhe valls zhat need to be torn down und vhere zhe roof has to be torn off." Gilbert told him simply.

"Just the two of us? Seriously?"

Gilbert nodded. "Seriously."

Antonio nodded. "Alright. I guess we can get started on this." He stood up, then looked to Gilbert. "Do we have anything to knock the walls down with, though?"

Gilbert thought for a moment and looked around. "Uh…Yeah, I think." He walked over to his car and looked in the trunk, pulling out a sledge hammer, and then another one.

"Why are they- you know what, never mind." Antonio said, shaking his head and just taking the sledge hammer Gilbert handed him.

Gilbert ignored that, knowing it didn't matter to Antonio why he had two sledge hammers in his car. He walked to the house and went on inside. "Do you zhink ve should have somezhing to protect us?" Gilbert asked, looking over his shoulder at Antonio.

"I don't think you have anything to protect us." Antonio told him as he followed him.

Gilbert shrugged. "True. Ve'll start upstairs." He told him, carefully walking up the stairs.

"Do you really think that's safe?" Antonio asked him, following the German.

"Vell, zhe valls have to come down somehow." Gilbert glanced behind him again with a smile that seemed innocent enough. But Antonio knew that it only meant he was going to do something stupid that could get someone hurt or him in trouble. But he didn't care. He had the same sort of smile.

They got up soon enough and Gilbert walked down the hall and went into a room. He carefully walked on the floor over to the wall and lifted the hammer.

"Wait a second." Antonio said, in the middle of the room.

Gilbert sighed and looked over at him. "Vhat now?"

"If we're just adding rooms, we don't really need to tear down the walls, do we? We just need to add doors."

"In a normal house, yes. But zhese valls are very old. My great-great granfazher built zhis."

"What? But I thought you moved here from Germany."

"Ve did. My great-great grandfazher came here for a few years, but his children vanted to move back to Germany, so zhey did."

Antonio nodded. "Oh. But we have to-?"

"Yes, ve do. If ve build on zhese valls…trust me, it von't be good. It'll be like…trying to build a treehouse on a rotting tree."

"So not good." Antonio said.

Gilbert nodded. "Right. If ve tear zhem down, ve can build new valls zhat are stronger und vill support better."

"How do you it's just these walls?"

Gilbert didn't answer for a minute before shrugging. "I just know. Just by looking at zhem."

Antonio nodded. "Alright. So you don't really know, you just do."

Gilbert nodded. "Ja."

"Alright." Antonio walked over to the wall with him. "Let's do it then."

"Awesome." Gilbert faced the wall again and raised the hammer again. They both hit the wall at about the same time. It took them a while to break the entire wall down, but they were pretty happy as they did, smiling and laughing. Gilbert wasn't too sure why he was so happy breaking down the wall, but he was. He had no clue why Antonio was like that too, but he just assumed it was because it was like the vandalizing they did when they were younger. Just on a bigger scale and it was Gilbert's property so they wouldn't get in trouble.

When they were done with that room, they went to the room next to it and tore down the wall. It didn't take as long as the other room. The next room they went to, though, they ran into a problem. That was the room with no more floor.

"Oh…" Antonio said when he saw it.

Gilbert looked at the room for a few minutes, before just saying, "Let's move on to zhe next room. Maybe ve'll zhink of somezhing zhen."

Antonio nodded. "Alright."

They went onto the next room and tore down the wall. They continued smashing walls until they were finished upstairs.

"Think of anything yet?" Antonio asked.

Gilbert shook his head. "Not yet."

"Well, we need to think of something soon."

"I know, I know."

The two went downstairs and started to break the walls down there too. Just the one wall though. They didn't want the ceilings falling down on them. They finished that several hours later and walked out of the house through where a wall had been and looked up at the one that was still there.

"Have an idea now?" Antonio asked.

"Do ve have a ladder?" Gilbert looked at him.

Antonio shrugged. "I don't know. Do you have one in your trunk?"

Gilbert laughed at that. "Of course I don't. Vhy zhe hell vould I have a ladder in my trunk?" He thought for another minute or two. "I'm going to look for vone." He went around to the front of the house and looked through the pile of things there. After looking through all the things, he found a ladder. "Yes! Finally!" He grabbed the ladder and started dragging it to the back of the house. He got it there after not too long

"So a ladder is the great plan you thought of?" Antonio asked him with a smirk.

"Shut up. It's not like you zhought of anyzhing."

"True."

Gilbert and Antonio got the ladder up and then Gilbert looked to Antonio. "You hold onto zhis und don't let it fall."

Antonio nodded. "Alright." He held onto the ladder as Gilbert climbed up it. He started hitting the wall, breaking it from the outside. It took them longer to break the wall that way, but they managed to do it. By the time Gilbert got back down on the ground and the wall wasn't there, it was around six in the afternoon. They both went around to the front of the house.

"Vhere's Vest?" Gilbert asked.

"I don't know. I've been with you this whole time." Antonio told him.

"I guess ve should just vait for him zhen."

Antonio nodded. "I guess so."

They sat down on the sofa and waited for Ludwig and Francis to come back, talking a little as they waited.


	9. Chapter 9

Antonio and Gilbert continued to wait for Ludwig and Francis to come back for another hour. Gilbert was about ready to call his brother by then, but stopped when he heard a car coming up through the forest.

"Finally." Gilbert grumbled. "Took zhem long enough." He stood up and crossed his arms.

It didn't take long for Ludwig's car to come into the small clearing and park again. The car was turned off, and Ludwig came out of the car.

"Vhere's Francis? Vhat took so long?" Gilbert asked as Ludwig walked over to them, but he didn't see Francis getting out of the car.

"He said he couldn't miss anozher day of vork or he'd be fired. Und he needs zhe job." Ludwig told him.

"But he'll have a job here." Gilbert told him, glaring at him as if it was his brother's fault.

"Ja, but ve can't guarantee him any pay right avay. Und he needs zhe money." Ludwig shrugged.

Gilbert scowled at first and didn't say anything for a minute before sighing. "Fine. OK."

"If it makes you feel better, he said he'll help out vhen he has days off."

"Alright." Gilbert nodded. "I supposed zhat's fine." He looked back to Ludwig's car. "Did you get everyzhing ve need?"

Ludwig nodded. "Ja, I believe so." He looked up at sky for a moment. "It looks like it's going to rain." Then he looked back to Gilbert, who looked at the furniture and house with worry.

"Vell…it's not going to stop us." Gilbert decided. "Everyzhing vill just have to dry out. Ve vouldn't be able to move everyzhing inside soon enough anyvay."

"It'll take a long time for everything to dry out." Antonio spoke up from the couch, looking over at the two. "If it's not a light rain."

Gilbert and Ludwig looked over at him. "It'll take us a vhile to finish zhe house. A really long vhile." Gilbert told him. "Zhe furniture vill have time to dry."

Antonio nodded. "Right. But we can go in the house if it rains, right/"

"Of course. It vill be cold in zhere, zhough. Zhe cars have heating."

"Or we can go in the car." Antonio changed his mind.

Gilbert nodded. "Ja. If it starts to rain ve'll go in zhe cars." He looked over at his brother. "Did you get any food?"

"Ja, I got some." Ludwig looked to the sky again for a second or so before directing his attention back to Gilbert. "Maybe ve should eat inside zhough."

"Probably." Gilbert agreed. The floors were dirty, but Gilbert figured the food was in a container and they could eat out of those. He knew th only reason he was putting up with the dirty state was because the house was going to be torn down and then cleaned.

Ludwig nodded and went back to his car to get the food. Gilbert looked up at the sky again for a moment and felt a drop of rain fall onto his face. He looked to Antonio.

"Should ve get an umbrella?" he asked as it started to drizzle.

Antonio thought for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, we probably should."

"OK. I'll meet you in zhe house." Gilbert told him. Antonio nodded and started to head for the house asa Gilbert walked to his car. He was pretty sure he had an umbrella in there. And if he didn't have one, was positive that Ludwig did.

He opened one of his car doors when he got there and started looking around for an umbrella. He started cursing under his breath as he looked and didn't see one. He could have sworn he had put one in there. He sighed and went over to his brothers car as Ludwig was closing the car door.

"Yes?" Ludwig asked when he saw Gilbert come over.

"Do you have an umbrella?" Gilbert asked, hoping he did.

"Ja."

"Did you check? Are you sure?"

"I didn't check, but I'm sure."

Gilbert nodded. "Awesome. Vhere is it?"

"Behind zhe driver's seat. Is zhat all?"

"Zhat's all for now." Gilbert told him.

Ludwig shook his head with a slight sigh. "Alright." Then he started walking back to the house.

Gilbert opened the door behind the driver's and looked for the umbrella. It took him a short minute, but he found it. He grabbed it and closed the car door before heading to the house again. He noticed the rain was starting to pick up a little from the light drizzle. He knew it would probably continue to be a storm later on, so he stopped by their things on the way and grabbed their flashlights.

"Zhe awesome me brought you guys some light!" Gilbert happily decleared as he came into the house. He saw Ludwig and Antonio in the living room sitting against the wall.

"Really? That's great!" Antonio happily said as Gilbert sat down.

"Nein, it's _awesome_." Gilbert corrected him, turning the flashlight on and putting it in front of the three of them so it shone onto the ceiling.

Antonio chuckled softly. "Sí, sí. Awesome."

Ludwig sighed. "Here." He passed a take-out box over to Gilbert and then he passed one to Antonio.

"Vhat is it?" Gilbert asked, opening the box. In it wasn't anything too fancy or too simple. "Vhere'd you go to get zhis?" There was a plastic fork in his box which he picked up and used to eat the food.

"You know zhat Italian place across from zhe hardvare store?" Ludwig told him, looking over to Gilbert, who nodded. "I got it zhere."

Each of them had the same thing. It was just some kind of pasta. It was more than just the pasta and sauce. It was better than that.

"This is really good." Antonio commented after a moment. Gilbert nodded in agreement; too busy eating to answer verbally. "Do you know the name of the place you got this from?"

Ludwig thought for a moment before checking the receipt. He looked at it for a moment before telling him, "I can't make out zhe name." And it wasn't because of the font. The receipt was just very faded and almost nothing could be made out.

Antonio looked over at the check and nodded. "Oh. You really can't."

"Vhy vould I say I can't if I can?" Ludwig asked, looking at him.

"I didn't say you could. Maybe you just couldn't pronounce it."

Ludwig glared at him.

"Hey, do I have to sit between you too?" Gilbert asked, looking over at them with a smirk, already finished eating.

"Shut up." Ludwig growled. He ignored the two of them and focused on his food as he ate. Gilbert chuckled and leaned back against the wall.

After a few minutes, they could hear the rain starting to pick up more and more and they could feel the coldness from outside through the broken walls on the other side of the house. Antonio was glad to see an umbrella there.

He and Ludwig finished after a few more minutes. Antonio was shivering slightly and Gilbert noticed.

"Zhere's some blankets in my car." Gilbert told him.

Antonio smiled. "Gracias."

"Ja, no problem. Ve should get to zhe cars before it starts to really rain."

"Ja. I'll get zhe trash." Ludwig offered.

"Danke." Gilbert told him, standing up. "Come on, Antonio." He wasn't all that cold, but he figured that the whole part snake thing was probably making Antonio at least slightly cold blooded. "Do you vant me to bring zhe umbrella back?" he asked Ludwig as Antonio start to head for the door.

Ludwig shook his head. "Nein, I'll be fine. Don't vorry about it."

Gilbert slowly nodded. "All right, but if you get sick, don't start blaming me."

"Vhen have I blamed you for my own actions?"

"Vhatever." Gilbert went to the door with Antonio, taking another flashlight and the umbrella. He left the flashlight that was on with Ludwig and turned his own on as he got to the door. He gave the umbrella to Antonio. "Zhe car may take a vhile to varm up."

"It may take a while to start up." Antonio mumbled, opening the umbrella as Gilbert opened the door.

Gilbert looked at him. "My car is awesome."

Antonio shrugged and Gilbert glared slightly before opening the door all the way. They both walked out of the house and quickly walked to the car, not talking. They wouldn't be able to hear each other over the wind anyway.

They got the car soon enough and Gilbert opened the door for Antonio. He closed the umbrella and quickly went in the backseat before Gilbert closed the door and went around to the driver's side. He got in and closed the door before putting the keys in the ignition and starting up the car. It took a few tries before it actually turned on.

"It'll take a minute before I can turn zhe heat on. Zhere's some blankets back zhere. Could you give me vone? You can have zhe rest."

"Uh, yeah, hold on." Antonio looked for a minute before finding the blankets. There were only about four. He handed Gilbert on and then wrapped himself up in two of them.

"You really are cold, huh?" Gilbert asked, taking the blanket and putting it on his lap.

Antonio nodded. "Freezing."

Gilbert frowned slightly. "So you're still getting used to zhis zhen."

"I _can't_ get used to it, Gilbert. It was just a few days ago. It's so weird."

Gilbert nodded after a moment. "Right. I keep forgetting. It just seems-"

"Like so long ago." Antonio finished his sentence.

Gilbert nodded. "Ja. Like so long ago."

They were silent for a minute and then Gilbert turned the heat on all the way. It took a little while for the heat to go through the car.

Gilbert was about to ask Antonio something, but he heard him starting to snore. He looked back and saw the Spaniard had fallen asleep, curled up in the blankets. Gilbert shook his head with a small smile and reclined the driver's seat as much as he could before wrapping himself in the blanket. He didn't close his eyes to sleep until he saw Ludwig walking back to his car. He smiled softly and closed his eyes. A minute or two later, he heard Ludwig's car start up. He fell asleep soon after that, listening to the two car engines and the rain hitting the cars and ground.


	10. Chapter 10

It continued to rain for the rest of the night and into the next day. It finally stopped sometime in the afternoon. Gilbert and Ludwig went out and went to the back of the house. They saw they couldn't start building right then so they went back to the cars.

"So we can't start today?" Antonio asked when Gilbert came back into the car.

"Nein." Gilbert told him, crossing his arms.

Antonio decided to leave him alone for the time being, knowing he wasn't in the best of moods.

It didn't rain that night or the next day. Gilbert was glad for that, and they started building that day after ten.

It took them several days to fix the floor they had broken, to put up the new walls and new rooms, and to fix up the rest of the house that needed to be fixed. Then they had to get the furniture back in and go get more for the new parts.

It took them a little longer to get everything in just to Gilbert's specifications. He went out to stores a few times to get furniture and paint and wallpaper and some carpets. They painted over a few of the walls downstairs and wallpapered a few rooms. The kitchen got new appliances, and they added a laundry room. They added plumbing and fixed the electricity. It took a while to do that, and a fire almost started. Luckily for Gilbert, Ludwig was there to stop him from causing it. They put beds in the rooms and TV in each room and a big one in a room downstairs. There was also a room with two beds that served as a medical room. Gilbert and Ludwig had their own rooms with a place to work in there.

A week later, Gilbert and Ludwig stood outside the house, looking up at it as Antonio was getting his room together.

"Vell, did you finally zhink of a name for zhis place?" Ludwig asked, looking over at Gilbert.

Gilbert was quiet for a moment before nodding. "Ja. Vhat about… Beilschmidt House?" He glanced over at Ludwig, seeing it that would be fine.

"Beilschmidt House." Ludwig nodded. "Ja. Zhat sounds good."

"Go make zhis place a recognized one, bruder." Gilbert told him, looking back at the house.

"I vill."

"Gut. Because if you come back und it's not, zhere's going to be trouble."

"I know, I know." Ludwig told him, almost chuckling a little. He was quiet for a moment. "I'll see you later." He left and a few minutes later, Gilbert heard his car start up and then he heard it start to drive away. Gilbert continued to look up at the house for a minute or so before he went inside again.

It looked brand new on the inside. He smiled, proud of all the work that had gone into the house. He closed his eyes for a while and could almost feel all the people that could be in there at one time. Everyone happy and free from the judgment of society. He could see friendships forming and people from around the world coming here. He could see the local news coming and later big time news, broadcasting worldwide. And he saw other places like this one popping up in different places in the world.

Antonio tapped his shoulder and Gilbert jumped, coming out of his day dreaming.

"Vhat?" he asked, opening his eyes and looking back at Antonio.

"My room's finished." he told him with a smile.

"Oh, it is?" Gilbert smiled. "Zhat's great."

Antonio nodded. "Sí, it is." He looked around a minute before asking, "Where did your hermano go?"

"He vent off to get zhis place… you know…"

Antonio nodded, knowing what he meant. "Ok. You know it may not take one day. It could take a while."

"I've vaited zhis long. I can vait a little longer."

"OK." Antonio nodded, but he knew it was actually killing Gilbert to have to wait longer. So… how do you plan on finding and getting the… uh, the others here?" People who have them and are using them aren't exactly going to just give them to you."

"Ve can put out flyers or somezhing for zhe first veek or two, letting people know about zhis place." Gilbert told him after a minute thinking. "But it's not too obvious vhat ve're doing. Ve'll hire some people to look for zhem und call us vhen zhey zhink zhey find somezhing. Ve'll go out if ve zhink it's big enough-"

"So if you think it's nothing or something small, you'll just leave them?" Antonio interrupted.

"Let me finish." Gilbert told him. "If ve don't zhink it's big enough to go out personally, ve'll have zhem go out to being zhem here. Or ve can't go und get zhem ourselves, ve'll do zhat."

Antonio nodded. "Ah, OK. Are you planning on paying them?"

Gilbert shook his head. "Not at first. Maybe later if ve're able to zhough."

"What if you never can?"

"Zhey have real jobs zhey can go back to. Zhis vould be more like volunteer vork to zhem."

"But it's not to you."

Gilbert shook his head again. "No, it's not. But I have money."

They waited a few more days before Ludwig came back with everything in order this time. Beilschmidt House was finally an official place of business. Gilbert and Ludwig got the flyers that Antonio and he had made while Ludwig was gone. Ludwig worked on making a website for them while Gilbert went out into town and pinned some up on poles and walls. He only had trouble with one person while hanging up the flyers.

"Are you serious?" Gilbert heard someone ask behind him. He turned around to face a man taller than him who seemed to go to the gym a lot.

He shrugged. "Depends on what you're talking about."

He pointed. "That damn thing you're putting up."

"You mean the paper? Do you have something against that?" Gilbert asked.

"You tryin' to be smart with me, boy?" The man growled, clenching his fists.

Gilbert only looked calmly back at him. He was about to say something back, but though about what Ludwig would say if he came back looking like he'd gotten in a fight.

"Yes, I am serious about vhat I'm putting up. I'm very serious about zhis. I'm to help zhem. Und even if no vone out here helps me, I'll just do it myself."

The man looked at him for a moment before he grabbed the flyer that was just put up. He ripped it down and tore it apart several times before dropping the pieces on the ground.

"Good luck finding people with _that_." He laughed before walking off.

"Lucky I know shouldn't've hurt him." Gilbert grumbled, putting another paper up. "Bastard." He continued putting them up, grumbling to himself as he did.

A couple of hours later, he finally came back to the house and plopped down on his grandfather's chair in what had been the living room. It was bigger now and would serve as a kind of family room now instead. He sighed softly and could smell the small dinner Ludwig was making.

"You got all of them up?" Antonio asked, looking over at him from the couch.

Gilbert nodded. "All but vone. Some ass ripped it up."

"Where you the one who started the fighting?"

"Zhere vas no fighting zhis time." Gilbert defensively insisted. Antonio gave him a look that made it obvious he didn't believe him. "Really! Does it look like I've been in a fight today?"

"Well… no. I guess not. So what happened then?"

"He asked if I vas serious vizh putting zhe signs up, und I told him I vas. So he took the paper, tore it up, und zhew it on zhe ground!"

Antonio looked at him for a moment before sighed and shaking his head. "Some people I don't believe."

"At least ve got zhe word out."

"Yeah. What'll we do now, then?"

Gilbert thought for a moment before shrugging. "Vait, I guess. For a call or email or somezhing."

"How long will it take?"

"I'm hoping it von't take long, but I know it vill take a vhile."

"So we're forced to wait again now…"

Gilbert nodded and the two of them sat in silence until Ludwig let them now dinner was ready.

It took a few days, but finally the phone rang. Gilbert made Ludwig and Antonio to be quiet before answering the phone. The call had been from London. The caller had seen their small website online and was calling about their neighbor. The neighbor had a pet rabbit, but he was starting to get the feeling it wasn't just a rabbit. He told Gilbert he wasn't going to call at first, but recently he had heard something coming from the house. Gilbert told him that they would send someone right away after he got his phone number and the address of his neighbor's house.

"Vell, it looks like vone of us is going to London." Gilbert said as he hung up the phone. He then told them what he had been told on the phone.

"London? Zhe first place ve get a call from is zhere?" Ludwig asked.

"Yeah, vhy? Somzhing wrong vizh zhat?"

"No." Ludwig quickly said. "I just zhought zhe first call vould be from somevhere a little closer is all."

Gilbert shrugged. "Vell, until each country has their own little place like zhis, ve're doing a vorldvide zhing. So, who should go?"

After a short minute, Ludwig and Antonio looked to Gilbert. He saw them looking at him.

"Vhat? I'm zhinking, don't rush me." He half grumbled.

"No, it's not that, Gilbert." Antonio told him. "We just think that you should go." he looked to Ludwig to make sure they were both thinking the same thing. He got a nod and continued, looking back to Gilbert. "You're the one most motivated by this, and you're the one who started this. So if anyone should get to go save the first person coming here, it should be you."

Gilbert looked at him and nodded. "Alright. But technically, zhey'll be zhe second vone here."

Antonio looked at him, confused for a minute before he realized he was talking about him. "Oh, right."

"Ja. I'll go look for a flight und get my zhings ready. You two can handle being here and looking out for calls und ozher zhings vhile I'm gone, right?"

"Gilbert, don't vorry." Ludwig told him. "Focus on vhat you'regoing to do."

He nodded. "Alright. Zhanks." He went over to his laptop and went online, looking for the first flight to London from the nearest airport. He found one that left in two hours. He booked a flight for him and started packing…


	11. Chapter 11

_A/N: Sorry it's a day late, I got a little busy. Also, there's gonna be a sorta 'pause' on Gilbert as a new character is introduced. Also there's a little warning for some violent stuff._

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_Part Two: Arthur_

Arthur Kirkland shook slightly as it continued to rain, like it had been all day. He had just gotten away from the 'doctors' that had taken him away six years ago when he was four. He had long, blonde rabbit ears now and a small rabbit tail too. He was trying to find his home, but he didn't even know where he was.

He sneezed a little and looked around, but every building was starting to look the same. He was hoping he could at least find a place to stay the night if it got too late. He was starting to get hungry, but it seemed every place he could something at was closed. And even if he could get there, he didn't have any money to pay for it.

He was getting tired, and his legs were starting to hurt. Luckily, Arthur found an alley and a box in it on it's side.

"Hopefully that will keep me dry." he quietly said to himself, starting to walk towards the alley. When he was almost there, though, one of his ears got in the way, and he tripped over it, falling on the ground and scrapping his knee and elbow. He frowned and tears started to come to his eyes. He had had about enough of this. He was in the middle of the sidewalk, but he didn't care. He curled up into a ball, covering himself with his other soft ear, trying to protect himself from the rain as he cried. He found himself falling asleep, but didn't mind and let himself. Arthur didn't sleep peacefully though, dreaming of when he was with the 'doctors', away from home. ...

_Arthur had been in a small room with just a bed and a desk. There was a coloring book on it with only a few colors of crayons to choose from. He got a meal three times a day, but he was never let out of the room, and he never saw anyone. After two weeks alone there, he saw a mint colored bunny that had little wings and could fly. He befriended it._

_He had been sitting on the bed several months later, talking with the flying mint bunny, when he heard the door open. Arthur looked over curiously to see a man come in the room. The man had his nose and mouth covered with a mask and had long rubber gloves on. He dressed like a doctor, but there was blood on the white coat. Arthur backed up as far from the man as he could, shaking as the man silently approached him._

_"I'm not going to hurt you too much." the man had told him as he got to him and picked the toddler up. "You'll be fine."_

_"L-Let me go!" Arthur knew by now that whoever had taken him from his brothers and parents were no good. And he knew what they were doing with people too. The flying mint bunny had told him the doctors were taking little people like him and mixing them with animals. Arthur had been confused at first, but he understood it after a week. He didn't want that to happen to him._

_"Somebody, help me!" Arthur desperately cried out, struggling against the man's hold on him. "Please!"_

_The man told him to be quiet, no one can hear him. Arthur didn't stop calling for help though. The man carrying him stuck him with a needle, and Arthur fell silent and limp. He was still conscious, though, as he watched where he was being taken._

_The man lied Arthur down on a cold, metal table. There were other doctors around, setting up some things. Arthur wasn't sure what was going on, but whatever the man had given him made him a little slow and calm._

_"What are you doing?" Arthur quietly asked._

_"We're making you better, dear." one of the female doctors there told him._

_"But I'm not sick."_

_"No, you're not. We're making you better than human."_

_The statement confused Arthur, but then another doctor came over and clasped his wrist and ankles to the table. Arthur was getting scared, but then he was given another shot of what he had been given before, but there was more in the needle this time. He went limp again, and everything was hazy. He was calm again and couldn't make out what was being said. His vision was a little blurry too. He could still feel the pain that came though._

_Arthur felt his shirt being cut off and the cold of the table on his bare back. Something was written or drawn on his chest. A cloth was put over his face lightly. After a few minutes, Arthur felt a needle being stuck in his arm and it stayed there. It seemed to be taking his blood. Arthur began to grow light headed after a few minutes. Then, his blood stopped being taken after about half of it, or it felt like it, had been drained from him, but the needle stayed in his arm._

_Something cold and sharp was put on his chest. Arthur didn't flinch back or move as he was cut open. He didn't know when they stopped, but when they did, something was put in. It was inserted into something inside him, be he wasn't sure what it was. Something was turned on, and then he felt something going into him through it. That went on for several hours._

_Eventually, Arthur's chest was stitched back up and blood was put back into him. He was picked up and brought back to the room with the bed and lied down on it. The same process went on for another month, but blood was taken only once a week._

_Arthur found himself in the room again, but he was full conscious this time. He looked around at the doctors there as he sat on the cold table. _

_"You... you won't cut me open today, right?" he quietly asked, looking up at them._

_A man chuckled and ruffled Arthur's already messy hair. "No. Not today. You won't stay here long today actually."_

_"I won't" Arthur looked up at him hopefully. _

_"No, you won't." The man held Arthur's arms down by his sides._

_"Wh-what are you doing?" He quietly asked, getting scared again._

_"Sh. Don't worry about it."_

_That was the last thing that Arthur heard for a while. He felt someone behind him brush his hair away from his ears and hold it back. Then, he felt both his ears cut off at the same time almost. He screamed in pain, but couldn't hear it. Tears were falling and he struggled to get away from them. He wanted to be let go of. He was held still as his head was bandaged. He tried to struggle still until someone gave him the shot again that calmed him down. He was brought to his room again and stayed there for what seemed like forever._

_While he was in his room alone again, with only the flying mint bunny for company, Arthur noticed something strange start to happen. He was starting to be get his hearing back. He didn't know how until his friend told him that he was growing rabbit ears. Arthur didn't believe him at first, thinking that was insane. _

_The doctors brought him back to the room several months after that. Arthur didn't know it was almost his birthday by now. The doctors gave him several shots, and then they made him swallow something. This went on everyday, the shots getting more painful, until he was sitting in his room, talking with the flying mint bunny one day._

_"I know a way you can get out of here." the flying mint bunny told him._

_"You do?" Arthur quietly asked. "Why haven't you told me sooner?"_

_"I needed to make sure it was safe for you. It took a while, and I found it not too long ago."_

_"Oh. Can you show it to me?"_

_"Of course." The flying mint bunny lead Arthur out of his room and down several hallways. He was caught by one of the men not too long after he left his room. _

_"Trying to escape?" Arthur shook his head, but the man that caught him knew he was lying. He threw Arthur into a dark, cold room and locked the door. Arthur was unable to get out. He was forced to stay there for two days. _

_When he was back in his own room, Arthur didn't dare try to leave. But the thought kept nagging at him. He would hide when the doctors came to get him. When they found him, he would struggle as hard as he could, crying. A month later, Arthur tried escaping again, only to meet the same fate he had the first time._

_Eventually, though, Arthur managed to finally escape. He ran as far away from the place he had been until he was sure he was far enough away._


	12. Chapter 12

_A/N: For those who don't know: Allistor=Scotland, Dylan=Wales, Seamus=North Ireland. So sorry if they're OOC, I barely know anything about them, but they needed to be in the chapter. Also if any of you know the male human name for Ireland, telling me would be very appreciated. _

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The first thing Arthur felt when he started to come to again was a gentle hand stroking his hair. He wanted to move away from the touch. He didn't know who it was, and he was scared he would be hurt. He couldn't move when he tried to though He heard someone talking, but he couldn't make out what was being said or who was talking.

What felt like hours later, Arthur slowly opened his eyes. He thought he was alone, but then he saw someone sitting at the end of the sofa he was lying on, writing something, it seemed. Arthur noticed he had red hair and he looked vaguely familiar.

He couldn't even try to sit up before the other boy glanced over at him. He looked like he wasn't too much older then Arthur, and he had some freckles across his face.

"Y-you're awake!" He put down what he was working on and moved over to Arthur, hugging him gently. "We were so worried about you." He held Arthur close to him The small Brit wasn't sure why he didn't pull away from him The other had a slight accent to Arthur that he couldn't place at the moment.

"I'll be right back. I have to tell the others." He gently sat Arthur up so he was sitting on the couch before he left off.

Arthur watched him go before wrapping his long ears around himself and curling up under them again so just his emerald eyes were showing. He looked around with his eyes, trying to find Flying Mint Bunny. He wanted to thank him for showing him the way over here. And he wanted to be with a friend.

Soon enough, Arthur heard people coming to the room he was in. He hid behind his ears even more, scared of what may happen to him.

"Is he OK?" Arthur heard someone with an mistakable thick Scottish accent. "You said he was fine!"

"Quiet down Allistor." It was the same voice Arthur had heard before. Arthur had half a mind to peek over his ears to see them. He was about to do so when a new voice started to talk.

"Yeah, you're only scaring him more than he already is." Arthur felt someone sit down next to him and then the person continued. It must have been him that sat down next to him since his voice was next to him now. "Who knows what happened to him the last six years?"

'_Six years?'_ Arthur thought to himself. '_They had me there for six years?'_

Someone sat on the other side of Arthur, and a gentle hand was placed on his head. "I'm sorry. Didn't mean to scare you." The Scottish voice, Allistor, Arthur remembered, said. "Could you come out for us, please? Just a little?"

"We promise we won't hurt you." The voice with the slight accent said.

"At least not a lot." Allistor jooked, ruffling Arthur's hair genty. Arthur heard an 'ow' from him not long after, and then he apologized. "I'm sorry. We won't hurt you at all."

Arthur just shrank into himself more. He had heard that lie many times before, and he couldn't bring himself to trust it anymore.

There was a silence in the room for a while, but Arthur knew they were still there, looking t him and each other.

"Do you want some food?" the person next to Arthur that wasn't Allistor asked. Arthur slowly nodded, knowing they could see that he did. "Alright. I'll go get you something." Arthur felt the weight leave the sofa as he stood up. A hand gently ruffled his hair again before the owner of it left. The other two people were still there in the room. The person still standing sat down next to him were the other had been. Arthur didn't move, though, still scared too.

A gentle hand was put over Arthur's shoulders.

"Please don't worry." The voice with the slight accent said. "I know you must have been through a lot." Arthur didn't react and he felt himself being pulled into a gentle hug. "I don't know exactly what happened, but I really do promise we won't hurt you. You're our little brother. We could never hurt you."

Hearing that he was their brother, Arthur cautiously peeked over his ears and looked at the person he had seen before, holding him.

"We're...brothers? Family?" Arthur quietly asked him. He could barely remember anything before he was taken away, so he could only go off what he was told for truth.

He nodded. "Yeah. Family. You don't remember us, though, do you?" he sounded saddened, but he was smiling too.

Arthur shook his head. "No, I don't."

"Well, you _were_ very young. I didn't expect you to. Do you remember anything before being taken away though?"

Arthur thought about it for a moment or two before remembering one thing. "A door." he quietly told them. "The front door to a house."

"That' all you remember then?"

Arthur nodded. "Yeah. Just the door. It looked old and had a faded blue paint." There was silence for a few moment as the two on the sofa looked at each other.

"Well, I suppose we should tell you our names then. I'm Seamus, and that is Allistor."

Arthur looked over at Allistor, knowing him from his accent and getting yelled at for something already. He had red hair, sort of like Seamus, but it was a different shade, with more red in it. Then he looked back up at Seamus. He hoped he would be able to remember their names.

"And Dylan is in the kitchen. He should be back soon."

"Alright." Arthur nodded, and then thought for a moment and asked, "If we're all brothers, why do we sound different?"

"Why?" Seamus thought for a moment and frowned. "You know, I never really notice it that much."

"That's because you've heard us talk so much you can't tell our voices apart anymore." Allistor told him.

"Yes, but I could pick your voice out of any crowd."

"And why is that?" Allistor seemed to start to get a little defensive.

"Because you talk too much around here for me to ever forget your voice."

"You saying I need to shut up?" Allistor glared at Seamus who just looked over with a sort of smug look.

"That's not how I put it, but basically, yes."

"Alright. If i told you once, I mut have told you a thousand times. Do _not_ tell me to-"

"What's going on?" Dylan asked as he came into the room, holding a small try of food.

All three on the sofa looked over at him. All Arthur could see was the food.

"What's going on? He wants me to shut up!" Allistor aid, pointing a finger at Seamus.

"I never did _say _you need to shut up."

"Both of you be quiet." Dylan interrupted the argument before it began. He looked to Arthur and saw him looking at the food. He smiled softly and sat down on the sofa between Seamus and Allistor as Seamus pulled Arthur into his lap. Dylan balanced the tray on his and Seamus' legs and looked to Arthur who was starting longingly at the food, not sure if he could take it.

"Go ahead. It's all for you." Dylan softly encouraged.

Arthur slowly moved his ears to the sides and reached out cautiously to get the food. He ate slowly but happily. He took just a little food at a time, but managed to eat all of it soon. He leaned back into Seamus when he was finished, feeling all content and full at the moment.

Dylan smiled and put the tray on the side table next to the couch. "You're all dirty, Arthur. Why you get washed off? I can get you some pajamas, and we can make you up a bed to sleep on."

"Can I sleep with one of you?"Arthur softly asked, almost instantly. He looked down after he asked. "I... I don't want to be alone."

"Of course you can sleep with one of us." Seamus told him. "Now, I'll show you were the bathroom is and Dylan will you get you something clean to wear. You'll be comfortable."

Arthur nodded. "OK." He didn't make any move to get up off of Seamus, so Seamus picked him up and carried him upstairs as Dylan went ahead of them.

"You're going to love it here. I promise you that. It will be much better than where you were at." Seamus told him as he walked up the stairs.

"If we're all brothers...where are our parents?" Arthur softly asked. Seamus stopped walking. Arthur looked at him to see he was looking down. "I'm sorry. You don't have to tell me."

Seamus shook hi head. "No, I think you should know. You're our brother after all." He walked up the stairs and down the hall, stopping in front of a door. "Well, our dad died before you were born. He was in the military, but that's about all I know about him. Our mom had to take care of us alone, and that worked out pretty fine. Until she came home one day and couldn't find you. She had gone out and left you with a baby-sitter. She was devastated. She loved you a little more than the rest of us. She tried not to show it, but we knew and didn't mind. She told us you look like dad. After she couldn't find you, she became seriously depressed. We tried to make her feel better however we could, but in the end...well..." There were tear in Seamus' eyes and Arthur frowned softly. He gently hugged him.

"You don't have to continue." he softly told him.

"Thank you. Can you wash yourself?"

Arthur nodded. "Yeah. I can."

"Ok. Good." They waited in silence for a while longer until Dylan came over with some pajamas.

"I hope they fit." he told Arthur as he handed them to him. "They may be a littlebig on you though."

"It's alright if they are." Arthur told him, looking up at him. They smiled at each other for a few minutes before Dylan went back downstairs. Seams put Arthur down on the ground.

"I'll stay out here in case you need anything, OK?" he told him.

Arthur nodded. "Alright." He went into the bathroom and closed the door, but didn't lock it in case something happened.

He took a while to bath, deciding that would be easier for him. It took him a long while to wash his ears. He hadn't realized he had been this dirty. When he was finished cleaning himself, he dried off and got dressed in the pajamas. They were a little big on him, like Dylan thought they would be. His ears were still soaking wet though. He opened the door and peeked his head out.

"Seamus?" he softly asked.

His brother looked over at him. "Yeah? You done?"

Arthur nodded. "Yeah, but...how do I get my ears not wet?"

Seamus smiled softly. "Here, open the door." He came into the bathroom and looked through some drawers until e found the hair dryer. "Alright, come here." He grabbed a brush. "Sorry if this hurts." He started to brush Arthur's ears gently and blow dry them at the same time. Eventually, his ears and hair were dry and fluffy.

"There. All clean. All dry."

Arthur smiled happily before letting out a small yawn. Seamus smiled with a small chuckle. He picked him up and held him close.

"Tired, huh?" Arthur nodded and rested his head on Seamus' shoulder. He started to walk to a room, but Arthur never got to see it before he drifted off to sleep.


End file.
